The present invention relates to a process for preparing phenoxyphenylsulfonyl halides, which are useful intermediates for the preparation of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors and to intermediates thereof.
Inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) are known to be useful for the treatment of a condition selected from the group consisting of arthritis (including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis), inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, emphysema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's disease, organ transplant toxicity, cachexia, allergic reactions, allergic contact hypersensitivity, cancer, tissue ulceration, restenosis, periodontal disease, epidermolysis bullosa, osteoporosis, loosening of artificial joint implants, atherosclerosis (including atherosclerotic plaque rupture), aortic aneurysm (including abdominal aortic aneurysm and brain aortic aneurysm), congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, cerebral ischemia, head trauma, spinal cord injury, neuro-degenerative disorders (acute and chronic), autoimmune disorders, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, migraine, depression, peripheral neuropathy, pain, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, nootropic or cognition enhancement, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, ocular angiogenesis, corneal injury, macular degeneration, abnormal wound healing, burns, diabetes, tumor invasion, tumor growth, tumor metastasis, corneal scarring, scleritis, AIDS, sepsis, septic shock and other diseases characterized by inhibition of metalloproteinase or ADAM (including TNF-.alpha.) expression. In addition, the products which can be prepared from the compounds and processes of the present invention may be used in combination therapy with standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (hereinafter NSAID'S), COX-2 inhibitors and analgesics for the treatment of arthritis, and in combination with cytotoxic drugs such as adriamycin, daunomycin, cis-platinum, etoposide, taxol, taxotere and alkaloids, such as vincristine, in the treatment of cancer.
Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors are well known in the literature. Specifically, PCT publication WO 96/33172 published Oct. 24, 1996, refers to cyclic arylsulfonylamino hydroxamic acids that are useful as MMP inhibitors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,615, PCT Publication WO 97/20824, PCT Publication WO 98/08825, PCT Publication WO 98/27069, and PCT Publication WO 98/34918, published Aug. 13, 1998, entitled "Arylsulfonyl Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives" all refer to cyclic hydroxamic acids that are useful as MMP inhibitors. PCT Publications WO 96/27583 and WO 98/07697, published Mar. 7, 1996 and Feb. 26, 1998, respectively, refer to arylsulfonyl hydroxamic acids. PCT Publication WO 98/03516, published Jan. 29, 1998 refers to phosphinates with MMP activity. PCT Publication WO 98/34915, published Aug. 13, 1998, entitled "N-Hydroxy-b-Sulfonyl Propionamide Derivatives," refers to propionylhydroxamides as useful MMP inhibitors. PCT Publication WO 98/33768, published Aug. 6, 1998, entitled "Arylsulfonylamino Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives," refers to N-unsubstituted arylsulfonylamino hydroxamic acids. PCT Publication WO 98/30566, published Jul. 16, 1998, entitled "Cyclic Sulfone Derivatives," refers to cyclic sulfone hydroxamic acids as MMP inhibitors. U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/55208, filed Aug. 8, 1997, refers to biaryl hydroxamic acids as MMP inhibitors. U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/55207, filed Aug. 8, 1997, entitled "Aryloxyarylsulfonylamino Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives," refers to aryloxyarylsulfonyl hydroxamic acids as MMP inhibitors. U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/62766, filed Oct. 24, 1997, entitled "The Use of MMP-13 Selective Inhibitors For The Treatment of Osteoarthritis and Other MMP Mediated Disorders," refers to the use of MMP-13 selective inhibitors to treat inflammation and other disorders. U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/68261, filed Dec. 19, 1997, refers to the use of MMP inhibitors to treat angiogenesis and other disorders. Each of the above referenced publications and applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present inventors have now discovered a convenient process for preparing (4-fluorophenoxy-phenyl)-sulfonyl chloride in three steps from 4-chloro-sulfonyl chloride.